Category: New

Now the thieves have hit Hayley’s Field allotments and got away with some valuable power mowers and other tools. Then they came back to Ash Road and managed to open the already damaged doors of a shipping container and get away with a ride-on mower worth about £7k. This time they had some good bolt cutters and cut a heavy motor bike chain holding the doors shut. They were very determined to get what they wanted.

Some suggestions:

• A big sign saying CCTV is in operation. Maybe a dummy camera if you can’t manage a real one.
• Take photos of valuable stuff and keep them safe off the site somewhere, along with purchase receipts and serial numbers
• Chain valuable equipment to the floor.
• Enlist neighbors to report suspicious activity at night.

There have been alarming reports of break-ins at several allotment sites in NW Leeds in the last few days. So far there have been reports of break-ins at Ash Road, Meanwood Parkside Road, Headingley Station Allotments and also the Cricket Club nearby. There are probably more attacks to come.

We are dealing with a gang of determined and well equipped criminals here. This is what happened at Ash Road:

On our site at Ash Road, Headingley, the thieves targeted almost every shed on our 9 acre site, so I would guess about 100 sheds entered in total.  Fortunately in most cases the thieves nearly opened doors and looked in, but in a substantial minority of cases there was ransacking of the shed contents.  I have certainly had reports of a rotavator and a couple of strimmers being taken – despite the fact that we warn people not to leave such items in their sheds. We had both our storage containers entered. We lost three petrol strimmers and a petrol hedge trimmer.  

Note that they managed to get into locked sheds and two secure storage containers, causing serious damage in the process. At Parkside Road they broke the lock off the main gate, then drove a vehicle in.

Be vigilant!

There are continued reports of people in the UK receiving mystery seeds in the post that they did not order. The seeds appear to come from foreign countries, and are often listed on customs forms as something else.

If you receive a parcel like this don’t plant the seeds. And don’t add them to your compost. They may be an invasive pest plant, or even spread a plant disease. You can report them to the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) on their web site or by emailing them at PlantHealth.info@apha.gov.uk.

There is useful advice on importing plant material safely on the RHS web site.

A new pest is reported in Leeds allotments: allium leaf miner. These are tiny flies that lay their eggs on our onions, shallots, leeks, garlic, etc. The maggots tunnel down through the leaves, causing damage that lets in fungal disease. More information is available from a post at Hollin Lane Allotments’ web pages.

An article by Garden Organic lists two email addresses where you can report damage to crops from aminopyralid weedkiller in manure.

City dwellers are looking to lead “the good life” are queuing for allotments, according to a report from the BBC.

Here is a useful brochure from Office International du Coin de Terre
et des Jardins Familiaux, the European body like our National Allotments Society. Lots of information about soil, and how to look after it!

Download it here.

Some research has shown that bumblebees can speed up flowering of their food plants by “pruning” the leaves. Clever!

Here is an excellent little video that explains how washing with soap and water kill viruses, including the COVID19 virus. It even explains the 20 second rule with a clever experiment – all in less than four minutes.